The hard-pressed emergency department at Royal Berkshire Hospital is doing some pioneering work to make the experience better for patients.

The department has embarked on a some unique research which will culminate in a film which can be shared with other hospital emergency departments across the country.

The team at the hospital in Reading have already recruited five patients - along with their relatives - who have agreed to take part in the research project.

They hope to recruit 20 altogether - some of them frequent users of the emergency department - who will describe their experiences in the department and offer suggestions on improvements.

The research project is a two-way street in which staff contribute their thoughts on the process and the volunteer patients also get to see how the emergency department works.

Five years ago what used to be called accident and emergency saw 220 patients a day on average.

Now that number has risen to more than 300.

Target

The target is to treat or admit patients within four hours of arriving at the hospital and recent figures had the hospital trust beating the 95 per cent target set by the Government.

getreading was invited to meet the team Dr David Mossop , lead consultant in the emergency department, Dr Liza Keating, Matron Brenda Morton and sister Melanie Gager to hear about the research project which will run for two years although the film should be complete later this year.

Dr Mossop said it was difficult to do research in the emergency department because patients were often “very unwell” and it was difficult to get consent.

Royal Berkshire Hospital emergency department carrying out unique research

However, he said research was crucial to the care of patients and “centres that do research generally have better outcomes for their patients in all areas.”

The emergency department is carrying out its own filming of interviews with patients and staff and the film will eventually be published on www.healthtalk.org where patients will be able to go to share the Royal Berkshire Hospital research and experiences.

"Excited"

Sister Gager said: “We are the first emergency department in the country to do this and I am scaredly excited about it.”

She said the work would “change the experience for the next generation”.

Dr Mossop said he had referred one patients to the team with a view to recruiting her because she had made a complaint.

He said that way the hospital could respond to the complaint and also embed some of the practices to improve the treatment in future.

When asked how the hard-pressed emergency department could find time to carry out the project Matron Brenda Morton said: “You commit to the outcome meant to make a difference, so you make time.”

The team acknowledged much of the work would be done on staff spare time.

Dr Keating said if anyone particularly wanted to share their emergency department experience and become a recruit to the project, the should email her at liza.keating@royalberks.nhs.uk